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North Star Stories: Voices from Where We Live is comprised of a weekly 30-minute magazine-style newscast and daily, five-minute headlines segments that shine a spotlight on the stories and perspectives of Minnesota’s diverse communities, including Black, Latine, Asian American, East African individuals, people living with disabilities, LGBTQIA2S+ residents, laborers, veterans, and those from Greater Minnesota.
YOU ARE LISTENING TO NORTH STAR STORIES: VOICES FROM WHERE WE LIVE, A DAILY NEWSCAST ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO LIVE IN MINNESOTA.
XAN HOLSTON: WITH HEADLINES FROM AROUND THE STATE, I’M XAN HOLSTON. COMING UP.... EFFORTS TO PRESERVE THE FUTURE OF FAMILY CULTURE. AND ... MORE MANUFACTURING LAYOFFS IN THE IRON RANGE OF NORTHERN MINNESOTA.
BUT FIRST...
FIVE TORNADOES OFFICIALLY TOUCHED DOWN IN ROCHESTER AND OLMSTEAD COUNTY ... PART OF A RARE SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORM EVENT IN SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA. A SUPERCELL STORM IS THE STRONGEST FORM OF A THUNDERSTORM... AND PRODUCES THE MOST HAIL AND TORNADOES.
BUT... NO INJURIES. NO DEATHS. AND FORECASTERS SAY THAT WAS NO ACCIDENT...
JEFF BOYNE/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE: WHAT HAPPENS IN THE CASE OF SUPERCELL THUNDERSTORMS ... THEY ACTUALLY ALLOW US TO FORECAST MUCH SOONER.
XAN HOLSTON: NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE METEOROLOGIST JEFF BOYNE SAYS THE SUPERCELLSTORM DEVELOPMENT GAVE THEM ENOUGH TIME TO BRIEF OLMSTEAD AND SURROUNDING COUNTIES EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND SCHOOL OFFICIALS THE DAY BEFORE.
JEFF BOYNE/NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE: MANY OF THE SCHOOLS ACTUALLY RELEASED EARLY BEFORE THE STORMS BECAME SEVERE.
XAN HOLSTON: ONE TONADO NEAR STEWARTVILLE AND MARION REGISTERED AS AN EF-TWO AT SPEEDS OF 130-MILES-AN-HOUR. METEOROLOGISTS SAY EARLY DETECTION AND WARNING SYSTEMS ARE KEY. THEY REMIND EVERYONE THAT THE SAFEST PLACE DURING SPRING SEVERE WEATHER IS IN AN INTERIOR ROOM ON THE LOWEST LEVEL OF YOUR HOME.
VANCE BOELTER UPDATE
FEDERAL PROSECUTORS ARE STILL WEIGHING WHETHER TO SEEK THE DEATH PENALTY IN THEIR CASE AGAINST THE MAN ACCUSED OF MURDERING HOUSE SPEAKER MELISSA HORTMAN AND HER HUSBAND.
VANCE BOELTER IS ALSO ACCUSED OF ATTEMPTING TO MURDER SENATOR JOHN HOFFMAN AND HIS FAMILIY.
BOELTER WAS IN COURT FRIDAY FOR A HEARING … PROSECUTORS SAY THEY WILL DECIDE ABOUT SEEKING THE DEATH PENALTY BY LABOR DAY...
SENATOR HOFFMAN AND HIS FAMILY HAVE ALSO SUED BOELTER IN HENNEPIN COUNTY DISTRICT COURT … SEEKING DAMAGES FOR THE PAIN AND SUFFERING CAUSED BY THE ATTACK.
AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILY PRESERVATION ACT
A FIGHT OVER THE FUTURE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILIES WHO END UP DEALING WITH MINNESOTA’S CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM …
THE AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILY PRESERVATION AND CHILD WELFARE DISPROPORTIONALITY ACT IS SET TO TAKE EFFECT JANUARY FIRST, 2027.
THE ORIGINAL INTENTION OF THE LEGISLATION IS TO REMOVE FEWER BLACK CHILDREN FROM THEIR HOMES... BY TIGHTENING THE CRITERIA REGULATING WHEN CHILDREN ARE PLACED IN FOSTER CARE ... IT ALSO REQUIRES SOCIAL WORKERS MAKE “ACTIVE EFFORTS” TO KEEP FAMILIES AND RELATIVES TOGETHER.
BUT... NOW... SOME REPUBLICANS WANT TO CHANGE SOME OF THE NEW REGULATIONS... SHIFT SOME FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES FROM COUNTIES TO THE STATE … AND DELAY THE ROLL-OUT UNTIL 2028.
DEMOCRAT REPRESENTATIVE JESSICA HANSEN SAYS THE LAW IS INTENDED TO REDUCE THE DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH NUMBER OF BLACK CHILDREN REMOVED FROM THEIR FAMILIES AND PLACED INTO THE FOSTER SYSTEM.
REP. JESSICA HANSON: THERE’S UNINTENTIONAL HARM HAPPENING THAT CAN’T WAIT ANOTHER YEAR TO BE ADDRESSED — THAT’S WHY THIS LAW PASSED.
XAN HOLSTON: REPUBLICAN REPRESENTATIVE DAWN GILMAN PROPOSED THE DELAY… SAYING IT IS AN UNFUNDED MANDATE THAT SOME COUNTIES CANNOT AFFORD.
REP. DAWN GILLMAN: THIS IS NOT TO SLOW ANY PROGRESS, BUT TO PREVENT UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
XAN HOLSTON: THE CHANGES FAILED ON A SPLIT VOTE IN COMMITTEE... BUT.. IT MAY BE INCLUDED IN AN OMNIBUS BILL.
MINNESTOA TWIST DRILL — INTRO
AN IRON RANGE MANUFACTURER WITH TWO PLANTS … IN CHISHOLM AND HIBBING … IS SHUTTING DOWN FOR GOOD … AND ELIMINATING NEARLY 80-JOBS.
AS AMPERS MEMBER STATION K-A-X-E'S CHELSEY PERKINS REPORTS... M-T-D AQUISITION INCORPORATED NOTIFIED STATE OFFICIALS LATE LAST WEEK …
MINNESOTA TWIST DRILL — KAXE PACKAGE
THE COMPANY OPERATES MINNESOTA TWIST DRILL IN CHISHOLM AND TRIUMPH TWIST DRILL IN HIBBING … MANUFACTURING TOOLS, INCLUDING DRILL BITS AND CUTTING TOOLS FOR INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL AND HOME USE. IT WAS FOUNDED IN 1952.
ACCORDING TO THE NOTICE, 32 EMPLOYEES IN CHISHOLM WILL BE IMPACTED BY JUNE 14, WITH MORE PHASES OF LAYOFFS AND SITE CLOSURES SCHEDULED TO BEGIN JUNE 26. ALL ACTIVITIES ARE EXPECTED TO BE FINALIZED BY AUGUST 13.
THE STATE SAYS THE EMPLOYEES ARE NOT REPRESENTED BY A UNION.
THE COMPANY IS OWNED BY METAL WORKING COMPANY WOLTER SURFACE TECHNOLOGIES, WHICH OPERATES IN SEVEN COUNTRIES WITH US HEADQUARTERS IN WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT.
CHELSEA PERKINS, KAXE NEWS.
[TAG]
HEMP GROWERS
XAN HOLSTON: MINNESOTA NEEDS MORE HEMP GROWERS … JUST NOT FOR CANNABIS PRODUCTS.
ONLY 30 PEOPLE HAVE FILED FOR PERMITS TO GROW INDUSTRIAL HEMP THIS YEAR … THAT’S LESS THAN HALF LAST YEAR’S APPLICANTS, ACCORDING TO MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.
FEWER FARMERS ARE GROWING HEMP SINCE MINNESOTA LEGALIZED RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA IN 2023 … BUT HEMP IS STILL IN DEMAND ... IT’S USED TO CREATE MANY PRODUCTS ... FROM CLOTH TO BUILDING MATERIALS AND BIODEGRADABLE PLASTICS.
ANISHINAABE CANOE INTERNSHIPS
AND FINALLY …
UP NORTH IN FOND DU LAC … A WAY FOR NATIVE YOUTH TO CONNECT WITH HERITAGE... GET SOME WORK EXPERIENCE ON THE SAINT LOUIS RIVER ... AND EARN SOME WORK EXPERIENCE.
‘ANISHINAABE CANOE MIGRATION’ IS SEEKING INDIGENOUS WOMEN AND TWO-SPIRIT YOUTH AGES 15 TO 24 FOR A PAID EIGHT-WEEK SUMMER INTERNSHIP.
THE PROGRAM HELPS BUILD SKILLS IN CANOEING, BUSHCRAFT, AND CULTURAL PRACTICES … WITH TIME ALONGSIDE ELDERS AND RELATIVES.
APPLICATIONS CLOSE MAY FIRST … FIND MORE INFORMATION IS ON ‘ANISHINAABE CANOE MIGRATION’S’ SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS.
FOR NORTH STAR STORIES … I’M XAN HOLSTON.
NORTH STAR STORIES IS PRODUCED BY AMPERS, DIVERSE RADIO FOR MINNESOTA'S COMMUNITIES WITH SUPPORT FROM THE MCKNIGHT FOUNDATION AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA. ONLINE AT AMPERS DOT ORG.